Pauline Oliveros, a musician from New York, is working with Cal State University Long Beach’s New Music Ensemble to present the world premiere of “Sound Listening.”
A 12-disc box set of her work titled “Reverberations: Tape & Electronic Music 1961-1970” was released on Important Records 2012.
Since the ‘60s, Oliveros has made music that displays improvisation, electronic music, myth and ritual, according to the Bob Cole Conservatory website.
“This is a good snapshot of the music going on in America right now. It’s not just pop music, there’s other things [out there],” said Alan Shockley, Director of New Music Ensemble.
The roughly 18-person ensemble will play various instruments including the flute, saxophone, bass clarinet, harpist, percussion and others.
Along with instruments, there will be non-instruments played throughout the show, such as, a comb, a bicycle, drink bottles and chatter stones.
“It’s going to be a fun concert,” Shockley said. “Where else are you going to hear people play music with a comb and rocks?”
Along with Pauline Oliveros, pieces by American composers James Tenny, Fredric Rzewski and Shockley, will have pieces performed in the show.
The piece Oliveros wrote for the New Music Ensemble is a score not of musical notes, but text instructions, Shockley said. The instructions tell the players to listen to the space they’re playing and to listen to the sounds that are happening.
“It should be a meditative experience,” Shockley said. “As well as a music experience.”
The show will be Monday at 8 p.m. at the Gerald R. Daniel Recital Hall. Tickets are $7 for students, and $10 for general.